The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-12-09

~ 34tUA1m1@~ 1
plant standing in his old trackA This
time l got : shot q him. but no went
o. q such . pace y % discourage me
from following. why did ~ leave The
grove the lirss timeP He hsd neither
seen o scented ~. There was moth
ing 70 tell him that danger approached:
He wa, however. obeying what \
afterward discovered was elephant In
stinct These great beasts always act
ON the theory that they 3 pursued
II they rest for 4 time In one spot. they
start up in alarm and 90 Of with .
rush when they 20. and Il d rarely
they rest again until they have travelled
twelve or fifteen miles. This fellow
had been resting two or three hours.
and he started up. went on ct = trot
for three miles. doubled back like q
fox, and was contentedly feeding when
l saw him the second time.
/ have often wondered that no
hunter or native ever found an elephant
who had died by accident or old age.
/ suppose the explanation j.. that
when m elephant dies in the forest.
the wild beasts speedily devour his car
cass and scatter his bones about; but
one would natsz ally suppose that some
Of these bones would be found at some
point or other. l have talked with
many hunters and natives. and the dis
coyery l once made has been declared
an exception. Twas going through an
open forest. following in the wake OF a
troop Of elephants which were feeding.
when l came upon the skeleton Of one
stuck fast between two trees. The
trees grew from the same root. but
spread several feet apart. and in the
excitement Of an alarm the beast had
attempted 10 pass between them He
was firmly caught behind the shoulder.
and had been held there until he
! starved TO death. Hide and flesh were
gone. and the bones picked clean and
| Some Of them fallen to the ground. but
1 secured a magnificent pair Of tusks
for the pulling Of them from the flesh
less skull. On another occasion ! found
m old bull lying dat on his side on thu
open plain. and not yet quite dead. He
had been wounded by poisoned spears
thrown by the natives.
The first thought Of 4 wild elephant
il to Zee from danger. but tho very
first wound inflicted arouses his
temper and makes him . dangerous
foe. He may run OF with the herd
after being struck. but II pursued and
harrassed he is quite certain to turn.
The first elephant which charged me
was the most vicious beast ] ever had
to deal with. i had wounded him Sc
verely one moonlight night as he stood
drinking at a pool with five or sis
others. They all went of with a rush
and l supposed my shot had failed
About ten o'clock next forenoon. as
was beating = piece Of forest fully foul
miles from the pool. with my boy Jo'
carrying an extra gun. the WOUNDED
elephant suddenly charged Us up
hillside. He was mol over \ pistol sho
away, but had been SO well hidden tina
we had not suspected his presence. II
had been hit in the shoulder, and tn
ascent was pretty steep But for thi
he would have had Us. The man wh'
would attempt 10 run away from Al
elephant on foot would be a corpse II
five minutes. They have an amazin;
gait in the open. and their pace !
scarcely impeded by any obstruction
in forest or jungle. Nothing smalle
than a tree the size Of . mans bod.
will turn them aside. A the beas
trumpeted and started for rs, we bot
made for the nearest tree. Ii was
large one, with branches growing wei
down, but we only got n gun up
and were aot above fifteen feet iron
the ground when the elephant reaches
] the spot. He was in q terrible rage
/ His first move was to break OF ever.
! branch he could reach. and we wer
: not safe until we were twenty-five fee
above him. He was not over tire
! minutes stripping OF the branch4'
1 and he did not cease his trumpetingf 70
+ . second.
I'll The tree was nifty feet high an
eighteen inches through the trunk
I When the old fellow had every thin
i cleared away. he took hold with hi
: trunk. got a good brace with his feet
I and lifted just As a man would. 1 felt III
' tree tremblc from root TO top. and
!. have no doubt that had the monste
4 been free Of wound he would hay
Q pulled IL over. As IL was, he starte
A some Of the roots when he saggcd bac
with his full weight He made four 9
r five heavy pulls before he gave up. an
. then he tried another plan. He WI
' quite at libertyto work any way he d.
Q sired. As ! had a cartridge jammed !
a my gun and was working to get
Q clear. The old behcmoth retreate
9 back about ten rods, and then can
for the tree head on. We knew whi
a was coming. and were clinging IA
and tight. but tho shock nearly spille
Us out. He tried II twice more, an
2 then gave 1t up. My extra rifle no
4 caught his eye. and he picked il ~
e whirlcd it around several times. an
then smash. IL went against the tire
lt breaking into q dozen pieces ] h'
w.s -. - clo.~ ~ fhie tiu.o and